Giacomo Blackthorne
Lord Giacomo Blackthorne was the firstborn son of Pellinore Blackthorne and his third wife, Darlessa Thormund. While his sons, Arthur and Dominic, would go on to outshine him as leaders of the household, "The Jolly Griffin" is fondly remembered by those who knew him as an amiable and good-hearted man--at least as amiable and good-hearted as a Blackthorne is capable of being. Giacomo was not a martial man and preferred drinking, partying and ribaldry; he was open-handed with favor and often made unwise political decisions due to his friendships, such as marrying his granddaughter Joanna into House Wyatt. For this he was resented by his more capable sons, and it is often wondered why the renowned Isabella Karhall chose him as her husband. Appearance and Character Giacomo was of medium height; the dwarven ancestry from his mother's side made him doughty and stocky from birth, but as he had more interest in luxuries than the exercise required of a warrior his natural stoutness turned to fat as he got older. He had small grey eyes, sagging jowls and a prominent second chin to match his flabby physique. His shot hair had a rusty coloration rather than standard Blackthorne scarlet, and his beard was cut into friendly mutton chops. He wore fine fabrics often colored a cheery bright blue, and also wore a near-ominpresent grin on his face. Good cheer was what Giacomo lived for. It was often said that if he had not been born a lord's son, he might have ended up as some kind of court-jester. A relentlessly cheery and optimistic man with a distinctive roaring laugh, he loved to entertain people with jokes and songs and stories. He was a thorough extrovert; he loved being the center of attention and making new friends. Conversely, malcontentedness and arguments in times of unrest would puzzle and upset the Jolly Griffin. He was leal and open-handed with praise and gifts. It is often remarked that if not for his stern father and fierce sons, Giacomo would have made a singularly poor feudal ruler. He doted upon his wife Isabella, and would do anything to please her. Skills and Abilities The Jolly Griffin was trained with sword and lance, but was not a warrior and was never raised to knighthood. His main talents were in his ability to make and win friends, which occasionally proved useful in diplomatic relations with over houses. It was often noticed that Giacomo was capable of eating and drinking an uncommonly large amount of food and drink, and it was often said that he could consume half a banquet table by himself in one sitting. History Pellinore Blackthorne was a stern and dutiful man, yet his firstborn son and heir was the complete opposite. Born to Pellinore's third wife Darlessa Thormund, and named by his mother after a famous bard she'd loved as a child, Giacomo was boundlessly cheerful even as an infant, and historical records note that he was smiling before he even had teeth. Even the early deaths of his mother and elder sister Eraena, who died together in a shipwreck, seemed only to increase his boundless optimism and desire to please those around him. He squired for his cousin Vaegar Thormund, but had little interest in arms and never partook in tourneys or battles. Through well-liked along the nobility for his amiable personality, Giacomo was never respected until he was chosen by Isabella Karhall, called the most beautiful woman who had ever lived, to be her husband. This was met with puzzlement from all the other suitors and indeed the realm as a whole, for Giacomo was not strong or wise or particularly handsome. However his good humor and japes seemed to charm Isabella, and they married happily. Their first son Arthur was born in 968AE; the second, Dominic, followed three years later, and the couple finished with Roderic born in 976AE. All three of his sons grew to be the martial figures that their father was not. House Blackthorne ran afoul of the monstrous Orc Warchief, Bolzog, around 987AE when he led a great force out of the marshlands to reave and conquer through the mainland. Lord Pellinore rode out to meet the beast in the Battle at Brackensbridge; the Old Griffin was personally slain in single combat with the warchief, alongside his grandson Jason Rookwood who was his squire. Giacomo, having inherited the leadership of the family, was at a loss in what to do next. It was then that his elder sons spoke up; they would handle the situation, they said, and their father need not worry. Together, Arthur and Dominic joined their skills to defeat Bolzog and save the realm. After this, the brothers took charge of the House almost completely, and Giacomo was lord in name only. The Jolly Griffin was happy to leave his duties to someone else; it left him more time to drink, feast, and host great parties for his friends. The last years of Giacomo's life were in relative luxury, as he would have liked. He rarely acted politically, and he did, it was to dole out favors; he betrothed Dominic to his friend Orys' daughter, Estelle Waynrite. He also betrothed his beloved granddaughter Joanna to the son of his friend Bernie Wyatt, a match that was obviously beneath her station. Giacomo eventually perished in an accident in 995AE. He had been sailing with Orys and other friends in his pleasure barge past the Storm's Eye, the vast whirlpool at the center of the Thunderlands. Drunk on wine and black Wyvern-Mead, the Jolly Griffin declared that he could swim through the whirlpool while wearing a full suit of steel plate armor; Orys and the other lords laughed at the obvious jape and started making bets on the Lord's odds. They did not expect him to actually attempt it. Giacomo strapped his guards' spare cuirass and helmet on and promptly leaped over the edge. A wave from the lip of the Eye overtook him immediately, and his corpse was dredged from the sea hours later with a fishing net. With his death, his eldest son Arthur took charge as Lord. Legacy Giacomo was survived by his wife and three sons. His children would go on to have many children of their own, seeming to end the scarcity that had dogged House Blackthorne since the events of the Second Blackthorne Civil War. The marriages that Giacomo made have had mixed results; Dominic and Estelle loathe each other, to the point where it is speculated their children are not even theirs. Joanna grew to love Wallie Wyatt, but the death of their two children has strained their relationship greatly. Nonetheless, Giacomo is remembered very fondly by those who knew him as a bright figure in a dark world.